Changing The Game
by CheckRaise
Summary: "This game's been around for over a century. Millions play it, many of them religiously, almost every day. Some do it for a living, making millions," Koushiro admitted. "And they all have one thing in common. They're all playing it wrong." Rated T for mild language and adult situations. Poker fic, AU.
1. Inflection Point

Changing The Game

Chapter 1: Inflection Point

A/N: Hello all! So, I figured I may as well keep this writing train running while I'm still feeling it after finishing my last story. This story is a prequel to my last story, Good Luck Charm, starring a secondary character from that story. The genre is somewhat different, as is the tone, but the areas of focus of this universe remain largely the same. This is still, in large part, going to be a poker fic, but I'll be tackling the topic from a different angle this time.

This is an alternate universe fic taking place in a fictional universe mostly similar to our own. Reading the sequel is not necessary to understand this story.

I don't own Digimon.

OOO

"This game's been around for over a century. Millions play it, many of them religiously, almost every day. Some do it for a living, making millions," Koushiro admitted. "And they're all playing it wrong." Rated T for mild language and adult situations.

OOO

~October 25 2321~

It would have been funny if the seriousness of the situation didn't sap all of the possible humor out of everything.

It made perfect sense that Koushiro Izumi would only understand how to present himself in professional settings as if he had only ever read about them in books. Fiction books, in fact. It was probably the case that he had only read about them in books, after all. He had a general idea of how they went, but the specifics and particulars weren't quite there. It was often said by those around him that he had more money than he knew what to do with. Sometimes it was much more obvious that he *really* didn't know what to do with it.

"Mister Izumi, are you taking this seriously?"

Koushiro tilted his head over to his right, over towards an elderly man with glasses, seated across the long table from him. The entire far side of the table was lined with people who Koushiro had never before met. Mostly elderly men with glasses, a few middle-aged women, all of them wearing suits. Each of them had their eyes on Koushiro, perhaps a dozen people he didn't know, all making him the center of attention.

The room couldn't help but feel like an interrogation room to Koushiro, although with it's glass walls it was likely a good deal more friendly than an actual one. And he was at least allowed an ally, his father, seated to his immediate right. And flanking the two of them were more allies, although these were allies he didn't know personally. Half-a-dozen men in suits, seemingly pumped off of an assembly line somewhere. A factory, producing men and women wearing suits, designed for maximum efficiency at the expense of design and creativity.

Yes, wearing a tuxedo was clearly a mistake on his part. He was starting to figure that out.

"Yes," Koushiro insisted, eyes darting about on the table surface in front of him, tugging at his collar. "Um, but before we continue, there are...two Mister Izumis present, so I think we should come up with a way to differentiate between me and my father."

An extended silence followed, Koushiro feeling as if he had just told a bad joke that nobody in the room found funny. He wasn't sure how what he had said could be construed as a joke, but so it was.

"I'm not used to being called a Mister, so...my name's Koushiro. That works well." Koushiro reached up to scratch the back of his head.

"Very well...Koushiro. Are you prepared for the examinations today?" he asked. "You understand what we're here for, right?"

Koushiro gave a small grimace. "I...I may have misjudged appropriate attire for the occasion." He gestured to his left and right. "I've got my lawyers here, I'm ready, appropriate attire or not."

"Very well," the man replied, looking down at a thick folder of documents in front of him. "Koushiro, this is a rather unusual situation, but...understand that all of us have the same desire. We want to keep this out of the courts. We want to find a settlement that we can all agree on in a timely manner."

"I'm perfectly willing to settle this right now," Koushiro replied quickly. "Um, okay, which group represents who, here?"

"Koushiro, you don't particularly sound like someone who's taking this this seriously," a voice from his left spoke. A female this time.

"I'm being serious," Koushiro protested. "You'll have to forgive me for being confused, I'm currently being sued by two different parties at the same time, it's hard to keep things straight. Frankly, I find it bizarre, everyone being in the room at the same time."

The elder Izumi placed his hand on Koushiro's right shoulder. "Um, let's let the...professionals work this out, son."

"We need to piece this entire timeline together before we can talk settlement," the woman explained. "And since both of your cases pertain to the same sequence of events, we can save time and streamline these cases by working together."

"I'm just starting to think that I might be a little outnumbered here," Koushiro suggested. "Two teams of lawyers, if I had known things would be like this, I might have hired a second team—"

"Son," Masami said. "That's enough."

"Your team is more than sufficient," the woman insisted. "We are not here to gang up on you, only to represent our clients."

"Alright, we're already running late, let's begin," a man seated in the center of the table said. "So commences session one of legal hearings dealing with the matter of Poker Hub Versus Koushiro Izumi, as well as Troy Starr Versus Koushiro Izumi." He looked over to his right. "Raymond Paxson, C.E.O. of Poker Hub, present. Troy Starr, venture capitalist, present. Koushiro Izumi, professional high-stakes poker player, present. All present are joined by legal teams working in the best interests of their clients. Plantiff number one, Poker Hub, seeks financial reparations for actions taken against their website's terms of service. Plantiff number two, Troy Starr, seeks financial reparations for agreements made in bad faith."

"God damn kid thinks this whole thing is funny," Troy muttered through gritted teeth, fidgeting around in his seat.

"Mister Starr, that's quite enough," the man said dismissively. "Now. Mister Iz...Koushiro. June the third, year two thousand, three hundred, and seventeen. It's understood that you have a nearly flawless memory, so we'll start with you. What do you recall about June third, two thousand three hundred and seventeen?"

Koushiro blinked a few times. "Monday."

OOO

~June 3 2317~

"I just don't feel comfortable answering those kinds of questions."

Truth be told, Koushiro had never actually seen any other headmaster's quarters in his life. But he was still quite certain this was one of the lower-end ones in the world. A simple rectangular room bordered along the walls by short bookshelves, with a rickety oak desk in the center of it. Koushiro seated on one end of it, Headmaster Frost on the other side. There was no magic or aura to it, just another plain room, not at all unlike any other room on campus. Not at all appropriate for the head of the entire academy.

"Not at all surprising, Koushiro. People aren't really meant to make decisions like this at fourteen," Frost said. "But I do have to say, I highly recommend you push yourself, as much as you think you can."

Koushiro grimaced for a moment. "I don't think anyone could argue that I haven't been pushing myself these last three years."

Frost quickly nodded. "Oh, yes, don't get me wrong, Koushiro. I'm just saying, I think you really owe it to yourself to make...possibly difficult decisions in the interest of advancing yourself as much as possible. I'm willing to do everything in my power to facilitate anything you'd like to pursue."

"I don't have any issues with Stratton, sir," Koushiro insisted. "I've spent three years here, my father teaches here, it's two blocks away from where I live...my plan is to return here in three months and continue on with my education."

"Koushiro, I...believe me, I take pride in my work over the years to squeeze every last dollar out of our budget to maintain Stratton, I've done the very best I can, but...I don't see any point in lying to you given the stakes." He held his arms out to his sides. "We're very limited in what we can offer our students. This is a two star academy, and frankly I take pride in pulling out that second star." He pointed over at Koushiro. "You are not a two star student."

Koushiro fumbled with his words for a moment. "Well, I...Stratton's certified to award class ranks in all the officially recognized major categories. That's good enough for me."

Frost sighed. "Yes, technically, we can offer everything in the way of certifications, but...Koushiro, you understand, you're a special circumstance. You're not...I didn't just call you in here and bring all this up to you because you're the...best student in your year, that's...that would be one thing. You're a generational intellect. And I'd hate to do anything to limit what you end up being capable of."

"W-well, that's...that's impossible to verify," Koushiro protested. "Um, generational intellect, you'd have to...conduct studies that eliminate environment variables, observe people over extended periods of time, I...that might be taking it a bit too far."

"Splitting hairs, Koushiro. Splitting hairs," Frost dismissed, waving him off. "I can safely say that no one in the history of Stratton Academy has done what you've done. Or come particularly close. I don't want you to be inhibited by the limitations we have here. Every academy on this planet would jump at the opportunity to have you, finances wouldn't be a concern. They have funds for situations just like this."

"It just feels a little too big for me," Koushiro replied, fingers curling open and closed on the armrests of the chair unconsciously. "Maybe it feels like something else to people...on the outside, but I'm still just a kid. And living with my parents, seeing them everyday, having my father here with me, it's...that's really important to me."

"I understand, but...well, I'll just come out and say it, it's not...it's not an uncommon arrangement at all. We're an outlier here, most campuses have dormitories where students live, and it does happen that the students begin living on campus as early as twelve." Frost nodded. "If you were to take the plunge, I think you'd adjust and do just fine."

"I'm not ruling it out, but it's a lot for me to swallow," Koushiro continued. "I can do well here, I can achieve what I need to achieve."

"Koushiro, believe me, I wouldn't be proposing any of this if I thought that was true." Frost gave a small scowl down at his desk. "Class achievements at Stratton don't count out in the world the same they would at...Gillian or Skyridge or Palant. They can offer you the opportunity to take full advantage of your capabilities, and have your accomplishments be fully recognized by the world when you're done."

Koushiro sighed, thinking for a moment. "I...my family, it's really important to me to be around them. You have to understand, I...I don't think I'm ready to be out on my own."

"You should tour one of these campuses over the summer," Frost suggested. "It might give you an idea of what you would be gaining by transferring. I'm trying to look out for your best interests in saying all of this, Koushiro. I think it would be good for you. And what's good for you could potentially be very good for this planet."

"I...I have a long summer ahead of me to think about all of this, I'll think about it," Koushiro said. "First I have to focus on Systems Science for a few more days, all of this doesn't mean nearly as much if I don't finish there."

"I'm somehow not worried about that," Frost said with a small smile. "You haven't failed at anything you've tried here in the last three years, don't see why you would start now."

Koushiro stood up, reaching down to scoop up his backpack, grabbing it by the strap and throwing it over his shoulder. "Just saying that doesn't mean anything," he said. "Headmaster Frost, thank you. Believe me, I want as many options as possible open this summer, I'll...I'll think about everything. But...having me move away from my parents, I don't know. That doesn't feel like something I can do easily."

"You're a very special child," Frost insisted. "I would feel bad if you weren't able to take full advantage of it all."

"Honestly, my hope is to be...like my father, a teacher," Koushiro said. "I want to teach at an academy. If you guys can help me go in that direction, I'd be pretty satisfied."

Frost shrugged. "A noble endeavor, to be sure. But, I must say, if you wanted to be, you could be just about anything." He reached up to tap his left temple. "Just think about it."

Koushiro nodded, turning to leave the small room. "Don't worry, I will."

OOO

"So, did Frost induct you into his club yet?"

Koushiro looked over to his right, a dark-haired boy joining him at the long, rectangular, plastic table. The giant room had a dozen identifical tables in total, each one providing a couple dozen stools along the sides. Efficency and symmetry over design, no doubt. As was typical in the middle of the day, the room was fairly jammed with children, aged twelve through eighteen, kicking up an unavoidable ruckus as they found various ways to get through their lunch period. Koushiro generally preferred his lunch hour to consist of little more than lunch, but there were a couple people he was willing to make time for if the opportunity was there. Koki Yamanashi, a friend of his since before their academy years, was one of those couple. Of a similar thin build to Koushiro, Koki was perhaps just slightly shorter, wearing a tan shirt and khaki cargo shorts.

"What are you going on about?" Koushiro said, nose wrinkling as his dropped his arm down to the table, clutching a large, square, white sandwich in his right hand. "Are you still on that?"

"No, come on, you have to tell me," Koki hissed. "I've been on top of this for years, if you know something you *owe* it to me to let me know."

"I don't know anything," Koushiro said flatly. "The Headmaster just wanted to give me some advice on my future."

"Uh, yeah, that's what *I* meant," Koki said. "Gave you advice on your future. A future that, he hopes, will involve leveraging yourself in the service of the New World Order."

"Oh yes," Koushiro muttered. "The Headmaster of a subpar academy in Leavensworth, obviously a member of a secret society bent on world domination."

Koki gestured over towards Koushiro. "He oversees the majority of the educations of thousands of people. You can't see the immense value in having someone like that on your side?!" He reached up and rapped his knuckles on the back of Koushiro's head. "Come on, you have to think like these people if you want to figure them out."

"Uh, great," Koushiro said, reaching up and pushing Koki's hand away from his head. "Not that interested in figuring them out, in case I haven't made that clear. And, no, there was no inducting into any clubs, or any indication of inductions coming."

"At least...not yet," Koki continued to push. "Look, I'm just saying man...someone like you, they're going to WANT you on their side. The day is coming when they recruit you, or at least lay the seeds for turning you. This strikes me as an opportune moment for them to begin."

Koushiro gave a small smile. "If the New World Order actually wanted me, for...some reason, they would spend fifteen minutes with me, realize they had made a massive mistake, and move on." He turned towards Koki. "So there's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, don't be like that!" Koki insisted. "Buddy, you *have* to realize what you are. What you can do. You've been doing it for three years, it's not a fluke."

Koushiro shrugged. "I'm smart, I...there are smart people everywhere. Millions of them."

Koki snorted. "I would have to drop a grand piano on your head a couple times for you to be considered 'smart'." He pointed at himself. "I'm smart, you're...you're—"

"I just got done hearing all of this from Frost. I don't feel the need to hear it again," Koushiro said, lifting the sandwich back up to his mouth and taking a bite.

Koki paused for a moment. "Well, what did he say?"

Koushiro paused for a moment. "He...strongly recommended that I apply for transfer to a five-star academy so I can...maximize my potential. Said the finances can be covered by the academy's financial plans, and that moving away from your parents to attend academy isn't an uncommon practice, even at my age."

Koki popped open the lid on a square tin lunchbox. "Well, of course, right?"

"Yeah yeah, I know, *obviously* a member of the New World Order would want me to get a better education so I can be capable of even more when I'm inducted into their ranks, yeah, I get it—"

"Well...yes, also that," Koki agreed. "But, I mean, you're all over that, right? Financial aid to go to...Skyridge or something? Obviously, you're on for that."

Koushiro pursed his lips. "Look, it's...not that easy."

"You mean like paperwork?" Koki asked.

"No, I...paperwork...it's just, me moving away from my parents, man," he admitted. "I don't know if I'm ready for it, and...if I did do it, and I was mentally compromised, then what's the point?" He shrugged. "I don't think I could do it."

"Buddy, you can *not* stay in Leavensworth," Koki said, leaning in closer to his friend. "Trust me, everyone, I mean everyone, knows you're destined for greatness. Nobody is going to be offended if you leave, in fact...I'll be offended if you don't leave."

Koushiro raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Koki. "Uh...okay then."

"Really, seriously," Koki continued. "You stay here, you're taking a...beautiful, antique painting and using it as toilet paper. May as well be, anyway."

Koushiro took another bite from his sandwich. "Well, maybe I'll move away when I'm older." He nodded. "I don't have to stay here forever or anything, I'm not saying that, but I'm still a kid." He turned back towards the book that was opened on the table in front of him.

"But you need to push your education now, *while* you're still a kid. What you do now changes everything later."

"Believe me, I've...I heard all this from Frost," Koushiro interrupted. "It's worth considering, I'm not saying it's not." He lifted the right page of the book up and flipped it over. "But...I just don't know if I can do it."

Koushiro didn't feel particularly like getting overly sentimental about his attachment to his parents in the middle of a crowded, loud cafeteria, so he was hoping to leave it at that.

Koki cleared his throat, pulling a sushi roll out of his lunch pail. "Just keep it in your mind." He reached over his shoulder towards his bag, pulling a rolled-up newspaper out of a side pocket. "I've read about places like Skyridge. They have maximum classroom sizes of fifteen students for all classes two hundred and above, think about how much better that would make things. And don't get me started on those luxury dorm rooms."

"Believe me, I'm well aware that there's a good reason why they get five-star classifications and Stratton gets two-star classifications," Koushiro said. "Now, either way, this conversation is meaningless unless I nail my first class in Systems Science, so I'd like to focus on that."

"Yeah, because that's a real concern," Koki said dryly. "Also, seriously though, if Frost *was* in the New World Order, he *would* want you to go to a better academy, so...it's a reasonable thought."

Koushiro scratched at his nose, smiling a bit to himself. "You know, I still think that you don't actually believe any of this, and you're just messing around with people in some misguided attempt to be funny."

"Then he's playing one heck of a long con."

Koushiro jumped up slightly, twisting his head to the left. "H-how long have you been there?"

Veronica Rogers was Koushiro's other ally in an academy almost entirely populated by people he was mostly ambivalent towards. A small girl with straight brown hair falling just past her shoulders. Her blue haltertop and white pencilskirt, along with white sandals, were appropriate for the incoming heat wave as summer approached.

"Just sat down," she replied. "I take it Koki's off on another one of his conspiracies? Should I go?"

"Hey, Koushiro is being encouraged to make major life choices by Headmaster Frost, so I think it's our duty to warn him about the possible implications," Koki protested. "He's trying to get him to transfer out."

"Three years too late, but still time enough to salvage things," Veronica replied. She reached over to pat Koushiro on the shoulder. "Good being your friend the last three years."

Koushiro rolled his eyes. "For one thing, if I'm going, there's no reason why you two shouldn't be going right along with me."

Veronica snorted. "What, as your...secretary and golf caddy?"

"Do the math, buddy," Koki urged. "I know you can, you've got the documentation at home to prove it. First class in Mathematics AND Computer Systems at fourteen? On the verge of Systems Science? I could NEVER do that. Hardly anyone could."

Koushiro shrugged. "I'm sure...both of you COULD have done it. You didn't, but...both of you are more than capable."

"Yeah, if we had the ability to freeze time," Koki quipped.

"You are doing it though, right?" Veronica asked. "Transferring out?"

"Maybe," Koushiro said lamely after a brief pause. "I have a lot of things to consider."

After a moment, Veronica gestured towards what was left of Koushiro's sandwich. "Last week of school, you're not letting yourself go a little bit?"

"Yeah, exactly, last week of school, you think I have any money right now?" Koushiro countered. "Because I don't."

"Well, seriously, try to scrape up something," Koki recommended. "It's the last week, so the servers are trying to get rid of as much food as possible. Practically double servings."

"I'll keep it in mind." Koushiro put the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth. "I can't exactly just...will money out of the air, you know."

"At least let me buy you dessert today," Veronica suggested. "They're doing Luxor Creme Pie, you can't miss that."

"Oh, so you're willing money out of the air now?" Koki asked, leaning back to look around Koushiro. "Do share your secrets."

"Just...just call it a thanks for helping me with those three hundred level Computing Systems tests," she said. "Although, in a few months, I'm sure he'll be somewhere where they give you...all the Luxor Creme Pie you want. Delivered up to your dorm by butlers."

"Hey, here you go," Koki suggested. "You wanna will money out of the air, go for this." He laid the folded up newspaper out on the table in front of him, pointing at a thin column of text with a small picture of a girl in a gold dress at the top. "I assume that one of the perks of being part of the New World Order is your choice of woman, get in on this one. She's the right age and everything."

"You think some very odd things," Koushiro chided. "If you do actually think them." Nevertheless, he leaned over to look at the column. "Uh, Heiress Diana Jackson has entire Panok Island rented out for thirteenth birthday party. Okay?"

"Well, to Koki's credit, as long as he's wasting time believing ridiculous, absurd things, I suppose he may as well go for broke," Veronica said, pushing a couple bites of chicken into her mouth.

"I...I don't follow," Koushiro said flatly. "If it was your goal to be so convoluted, I could no longer follow your ramblings, you did it." He nodded. "Well done."

"Well, this girl's father is obviously a part of the secret society too, so when you get in, and you meet him, you...you use that as your in, right?" He snatched the newspaper back over towards him. "Obviously, someone who earned his way into the society by pure raw intellect would be worthy of his respect, he'd be happy for you and his daughter to get to know each other, and boom." He pointed at Koushiro. "The smartest man on the planet, hooked up with the heiress to the Jackson diamond mine? You'd discover immortality with those funds!"

Koushiro moved his lips around for a moment. "You know, I think you'd be smarter than me if you stopped spending so much time dreaming up these...incredibly complex futures that are so far removed from reality, I don't even really know what to say when you're done describing them."

Koki laughed. "But then I wouldn't be me anymore. And that's not acceptable." He took another bite from his lunch. "Isn't that just insane, though? Like, you're born, you're in the process of learning how to react to sounds and movement, you're just starting to get the strength to move your head around, and boom, your father comes into ownership of land that ends up holding the world's most lucrative diamond mine, and that's that. You haven't even said a word in your life, and just like that, everything's just there for you. You could devote your life to be the most worthless, ignorant, unaware person you can be, and you're still going to have everything you can ever want."

"It's really something else, where the Koki verbal roller coaster can take you if you don't sedate him in time," Veronica murmured.

"What? I just find it...it's so hard to imagine having a life like that. Can you, can you even imagine what it must feel like to know you're going to be fine no matter what you do?" Koki leaned over to look at Koushiro. "Just...imagine that."

"I'd rather not," Koushiro replied quickly. "Doesn't really do me any good to imagine it."

Veronica cleared her throat, thinking for a brief moment. "O-oh, guys, I'm gonna need some impartial guinea pigs. My mother's been teaching me how to make Miso Soup with Mussels the last couple days, I think I'm ready to try a solo pot."

"See, when you say guinea pig, it...it doesn't make me feel good," Kiko protested. "It makes it sound like you've put this...experimental drug in it that might make me grow a third ear on my back."

Veronica leaned over to shoot him a dry look. "You've had my cooking before, don't act like that."

"No, I think you're really good," Kiko insisted. "I just, I'm just saying, guinea pig makes me feel...uncomfortable about the whole process."

"I'll have to pass on tonight," Koushiro said. "My cousin's coming over this afternoon, I need to be home tonight."

"Oh, right," Veronica recalled. "Really great fifteenth birthday present from your family. Phenomenal gift."

Koushiro's face faltered slightly. "I'm fine with it."

"Fine or not, it still blows," Koki agreed with Veronica. "You're about to become the most decorated third year student in Stratton history, you're turning fifteen in four days, should be a...should be a time for the birthday gift to end all birthday gifts." Koki rolled his eyes. "Instead you're losing half of your bedroom to a cousin you barely know for the summer."

Koushiro cleared his throat. "The Izumi clan doesn't have much if they don't have family unity," he stated simply. "My cousin needs to live in this area for the summer for his apprenticeship, and can't afford an apartment. I'll make do with half a bedroom."

"Be that as it may, I would hope your parents come through in spades on thursday," Veronica chimed in. "I think you're entitled to some high expectations."

"I'm not a big fan of feeling entitled to anything," Koushiro said. "Besides, turning fifteen or not, it's just a day like any other."

"Listen to this guy," Koki said with a small laugh. "Breaking my heart. He's sitting on a luxury speeder jet, and all he gets to do is drive it back and forth to the grocery store."

"Well, my parent's situation doesn't exactly change just because I achieve things academically," Koushiro said, standing up and closing the book. "I know both of you are unfortunately familiar with that fact."

"Hey, hey," Koki said, reaching up to grab the hem of Koushiro's overjacket. "I get it, believe me, but...you deserve it, is what we're trying to say."

Koushiro swallowed, then gave a forced smile. "Thank you, Koki."

"So, Miso Soup another night?" Veronica asked. "Wednesday or something?"

"Or something," Kiko agreed. "It is the last week of school, and even if I didn't aim as high as Koushiro, I'd still like to hit the target, so we'll play it by ear."

"You'll both do great," Koushiro insisted. "I want to run a few paragraphs of my Systems Science dissertation past Mister Sirius before I start doing finishing touches, so I'm gonna run over to the computer labs." He lifted the book up off the table surface and slipped it into his backpack.

"Good luck," Veronica said. "And buddy, really. Look up the details on Palant. Sounds like paradise. It'd be criminal if you didn't get a few years in at a five-star."

Koushiro nodded. "It's a possibility." He turned away from the table, cutting his way through the crowd of bodies as the incoming end of the lunch hour prompted waves of people to make for the exits. 


	2. Shrinking Stack

Chapter 2: Shrinking Stack

~June 3 2317~

Koushiro lightly tapped the door closed behind him, removing his backpack from his shoulder and dropping it to a chair to the immediate left of the doorway. He crouched down to undo his shoelaces, his father stepping onto the front foyer in front of him just as he looked down.

"You beat him here," Masami told his son. "His bus must be running behind."

"Okay," Koushiro replied. "As long as he understands my situation over the next four days, I'll be fine."

Masami snorted, slowly approaching his son. "Uh...well, I...I don't know that he's been briefed on the situation, son," he said. "You might have to let him know what you've got going on."

Koushiro stepped forward, pulling his feet out of his shoes. "Teenagers tend to be in the habit of expecting expansive socializing when first meeting a new acquaintance. I hope he'll understand."

"I...I would expect him to," Masami said. "Speaking of which, how does the dissertation look?"

"I want to completely restructure three of the paragraphs," Koushiro replied, lifting his feet up and peeling a pair of green socks from his feet as well, holding the balled-up wads of cloth in his right hand. "I want more sources for the fifth section. Enough to fill the next week for me."

"And you've met Juro before," Masami added. "More than once, actually. He's a good kid, you'll like him."

"Met him in passing," Koushiro countered. "Not quite the same. Now we're going to be sharing the same room for three months, he might expect me to...show him around town tonight, or something like that."

Masami slowly nodded. "And...son, thanks for being such a good sport about the room thing."

Koushiro grabbed his backpack off the chair and began strolling towards a narrow, rickety staircase that led upstairs. "The specifics of the situation call for it."

"Yeah, but...you certainly could have complained about it. I think most people in your situation would have."

With one foot on the first step, Koushiro turned back towards his father. "If I had complained, would anything have changed?"

Masami chuckled. "Well, I...I suppose not." He thought for a moment. "Could have had him sleep in the tub, I guess. Maybe clear out the hallway closet, probably just enough room for a futon in there." He cleared his throat. "The point is, I...you do deserve to have your own room, son. And as of tonight, you don't have that anymore and...well, I feel badly about it." He shrugged. "You've had a very good attitude about it, and...thank you for that."

Koushiro nodded. "Nothing to it," he insisted. "Juro's attempting to supplement his education with practical experience during his summer vacation, something I fully endorse, and it would be hypocritical of me to prevent him from doing it."

"Just...remember, he's a guest. He deserves to be treated well, but he has no right to overstep his boundaries. It's still your room. Any problems, you come to me." Masami nodded

Koushiro nodded back. "Thanks, dad. I'll be down for dinner." He quickly high-stepped up to the second floor.

OOO

~October 25 2321~

"So, this date, June the Third, four years ago, was not the first time you met your cousin, Koushiro Izumi?" one of the suited men asked, looking down the table, up at the leftmost end. On this end, an uncomfortable-looking young man in a gray suit jacket was fumbling with his cufflinks, unconsciously rolling them around between his fingers.

"R-right," Juro answered, reaching up to tug at his collar, then play with the knot of his tie. "I think maybe...two times before then?"

"But this meeting was particularly significant?" he asked, staring the young man down with an weighty glare.

"W-well, I...before that day, I had never said much more than 'hello' to him," Juro acknowledged. "He was...he was always quiet when the family got together, his...whatever his interests were, they didn't seem to have much in common with mine."

"Might I ask what my personal relationship with my cousin has to do with the grievances filed against me?" Koushiro chimed in, eyebrows twitching slightly in annoyance at the meaningless nature of these questions.

"Juro Izumi has been called here today as a character witness," the man quickly explained. "Your character is a key aspect of Troy Starr's case against you in particular, we want a full picture of what your cousin thought of you at various points during your relationship." He turned back to Juro.

"But this meeting, obviously...it was the f-first day of my move to Masami's house in Leavensworth," Juro continued. "I was just finishing my fifth year at Britash Academy and was working towards a career in mechanic repairs, specifically vehicular repair. I got an apprenticeship over the summer at a repair shop in Leavensworth, so I needed to move there. I wouldn't be making enough money to get a place, and I didn't have any money saved up, so...they let me have half of Koushiro's room for the summer."

"And, what were your first impressions of Koushiro Izumi, based off of this meeting on June the Third?" the man asked.

Juro swallowed down hard, hands going back down in front of him, resuming playing with his cufflinks. He almost looked like he was trying to constantly, discretely fight off his formal attire, as if it might strangle him to death if he relaxed. "I...I think...I thought that he was w-whatever you gave him credit for," he said, rushing out the last few words.

"I'm sorry?" the man inquired.

"He was whatever you gave him credit for," Juro repeated. "See, that is...there was definitely something strange and different about him. He was blunt, he could often react to things oddly, and...if you just assumed that he was a prick, then that's what he was. But, if you...gave him the benefit of the doubt, if you looked past the surface, and if you considered things from his point of view, which is so...different from others, and you went in assuming he was a nice person, then I think that's what he was."

"What do you mean by that?"

OOO

~June 3 2317~

There was a clear contrast between the two teenagers seated on the south side of the dinner table. The red-haired, slim, compact Koushiro clearly had little physically in common with the blond, muscular, chiseled Juro, obviously a much more filled-in and grown specimen. To be expected, as Juro was two years older than his cousin, but even with that gap, these were clearly two very different boys.

"Summer apprenticeships are a fantastic way to bolster a resume," Masami said, looking over at his nephew. "Believe me, it can make all the difference when you get out." He pointed over at Koushiro. "The only reason Koushiro can't do one this summer is because of his age, if it wasn't for that I'd definitely get him something."

"Oh, I...we'll see," Juro replied. "This guy I'll be working under, he's a bit of a gruff guy, seems almost annoyed he's gonna have to work with some kid. We'll see how much I end up getting out of it."

"Shops like that appreciate having the extra pair of hands around," Masami insisted. "Trust me. So, I assume you're looking at that line of work for a career after academy?"

"That's the plan," he said, nodding. "I mean, everyone's got vehicles these days, being in the business of fixing them seems pretty stable." He glanced around. "And I've been told that I have the look of someone who belongs in a shop like that."

"Well, you and Koushiro might have a lot to learn from each other, then," Kae offered from the other side of the table. "You've heard about Koushiro's recent achievements, I'm sure?"

"I...I mean, I know he's smart," Juro said. "Like, he's always done really well in academy, I've heard talk about that."

Kae looked over at Masami. "Dear, we need to brag about our son a little more, seems like the word isn't getting out."

Masami smirked. "Go on, Koushiro. Not often you get a chance to brag about it, I won't take that away from you."

After scooping and swallowing down a large spoonful of the red soup in front of him, Koushiro looked up. "I haven't achieved it yet, nothing worth talking about until it's over."

Kae reached up, pushing her long red hair behind her ear, laughing a bit. "Well, that's just typical of our son, isn't it? I'm certain it's something we did that made it impossible for him to take pride in what he does. I just have no idea what it could have been, though."

Masami looked over at his son. "What about what you did last month? That's certainly an achievement."

Koushiro nodded. "I got my first class qualifications in Mathematics and Computer Systems last month," he said quietly.

"Only the second third year in Stratton history to get first class in two categories," Masami added. "Most *certainly* an achievement."

"Are you serious?" Juro spat out, turning to look at his younger cousin. "First class in TWO?! Man, I personally know some of the sixth years at Britash, they drive themselves CRAZY trying to get first class! Eighteen-year-olds, talking about endless all-nighters and meeting after meeting with professors. A lot of them give up, just settle for second class, and these are...how?!"

Koushiro shrugged. "I take the same path as everyone else. I just did it faster. And it's not a *real* achievement unless I get my third this week."

"You gotta be kidding me," Juro said. "A third? People LEAVE academy with less than that, I..." he turned away, shaking his head. "Like I said, I knew this kid was bright, but...I didn't know he was an alien."

Masami chuckled. "Well, that would explain a few things, but...he's simply an outlier."

"I-I know you're a teacher," Juro said, pointing over at Masami. "T-that's gotta help, obviously, right?"

Masami nodded. "Clearly, he got all my smart genes, and managed to duplicate them many times over."

"So...what are you doing here?" Juro asked, turning back to look at his cousin. "Like...shouldn't you be...not here? I dunno, seems a little beneath someone of your credentials."

Koushiro shrugged yet again. "I like it here. I grew up here."

Kae cleared her throat. "It's not impossible that Koushiro might be somewhere else when autumn starts."

"Any...any academy in the world would have you with open arms, why not?" Juro said.

"We'll see," Koushiro said simply. "It's not that easy a thing to do."

"But anyway, I think you both could learn something from each other," Kae continued. "I have to admit, when I saw you come through the door today, I couldn't help but feel like my son could use a little...definition on his arms."

Koushiro smiled, scooping another mouthful of soup into his mouth. "Well, those textbooks are only going to get heavier."

OOO

The brown, wooden door creaked open, admitting the two teenagers into the rectangular, simple room. Juro quickly took measure of the chamber. A twin bed in the back, left corner, with a tan desk and wheeled chair right next to it beneath a square window. A dresser with nine drawers in the back right corner. A shelf on the left wall, the bottom two levels empty. A circular, green throw rug in the middle of the floor. A cushioned, wooden chair against the right wall. And an inflated, green futon in the near right corner.

"Here it is," Koushiro said, quickly going over to the shelf. He gestured down at the two shelves that had been cleared. "You can use these two shelves." He pointed over at the dresser. "The three drawers on the right side are empty, also for you." He gestured over towards the bed. "The bed is yours."

"O-oh, you...you're giving me the bed?" Juro stammered, taking one step into the room. "I...thanks, I—"

"You're bigger than me, more grown," Koushiro explained. "And it's protocol for a host to make sure a guest is as comfortable as possible, apparently anyway." He went over to the desk by the bed, closing the lid on a yellow laptop and grabbing a large book. "And who am I to question centuries of social convention?"

Juro opened his mouth, quickly closing it, looking over towards the futon in the corner. "Uh...you don't want to give me the bed, I'd take it?"

"Well, it strikes me as a bit odd that that's the way things are," Koushiro admitted. "I've been sleeping in this bed for a decade, you didn't even know it existed until today, but...that's the way things are. And it's fine." He went over to the futon, crouching down and taking a seat on the edge of it, crossing his legs underneath him. "I'm aware that it's already not the greatest residence to invite a long-term guest into, may as well make it as comfortable as I can."

Juro scratched the back of his neck. "Hey, trust me, my dad's not exactly rolling in green either. Actually, we live in a three-room apartment, me and my parents, so as far as I'm concerned, the fact that I'm living in a house now actually feels like I've really moved up in the world."

Koushiro grimaced. "I guess."

"So...anyway." Juro sat down on the edge of the bed. "Uh...anything I should know about? Like, something weird or special about this house that might be good to know?"

Koushiro opened up the book in his lap, pulling pages apart to get to a place near the end of the book. "There's a can of red spray in every room. If you see a cockroach, don't panic, just find the can and spray it." He finally settled on one of the pages. "Make sure it's actually dead too, they're tough. Try to scoop the corpse into a trash can with a magazine or something."

Juro, whose face had fallen rather quickly into Koushiro's reply, blinked a few times, looking reproachfully over at his cousin. "W-what? S-seriously?"

"If you can't find the can in a room, tell my mom," Koushiro added.

"Okay..." Juro blinked rapidly a few times. "Cockroaches? What, so, this is a...common occurance?" He stared over at Koushiro. "A can in every room?"

"There's a nest somewhere in this house, probably the basement," Koushiro explained matter-of-factly. "Not sure though. And even if we were, we can't afford to have it removed." He pursed his lips, eyes downcast towards the book. "I usually see a few every week."

With thinly-veiled disgust on his face, Juro glanced away towards the wall. "Oh. Oh GOD. Eugh." His nose wrinkled. "Great."

"Pretty common problem in Leavensworth, honestly," Koushiro added.

"Uh...okay, I'd rather not leave things on that note, so..." Juro clicked his tongue a few times. "Anything else I should keep in mind?"

Koushiro blinked a couple times. "Don't ask for things."

"Uh, w...w-what?" Juro asked, squinting down at his cousin.

"Try not to ask for things," Koushiro re-iterated.

"Ummm...buddy, do you have some kind of...problem with me?" Juro asked. "Did I say something wrong?"

"I'm answering your question," Koushiro said, looking up. "Umm...how should I put this?" His brow furrowed. "We, we don't have much money. That's probably obvious by now."

"Hey, who does?" Juro replied easily. "Believe me, my dad works in sanitation, I'm not rolling in here expecting a red carpet."

"Okay, good," Koushiro said. "I just...my dad, he's a brilliant man. I would know, he's fantastic. Very smart. Uh, things have just...played out in an unfortunate way, and...somehow, he's here. And it's unfortunate, and I don't like to bring it to attention if I can avoid it. So I don't like asking for things. And I would appreciate it if you kept it to a minimum on your part as well."

"Oh, he's letting me live here for free," Juro pointed out. "I'm not saying a word, trust me. The money I make at my apprenticeship, I'm leaning on that and nothing else."

Koushiro nodded. "Just, try to make things as...easy as possible. And be careful around here as well, uh...broken dishes, torn clothing, it all just makes things that much harder."

"Well, of course, I'm not coming in here...planning to start breaking stuff," Juro said.

"The only reason we have this house is because it's been in my mother's family for a couple generations. Paid off before I was born," Koushiro explained. "Wedding gift. If it wasn't for that, we might be in a three-room apartment ourselves. So just because we live here, doesn't mean we're in any better shape than anyone else."

"I get you," Juro said. "Yeah, I'll...I'm not planning on moving in here for free and starting to ask for stuff."

"Sometimes the dinners can be a little...simple and repetitive," Koushiro admitted. "Lot of ramen. I know, it's not perfect, but just try not to say anything." He went back to his book. "Makes things easier."

Juro slowly leaned back on the bed, placing the back of his head on the pillow at the top. "Alright. But what about the town, what's fun around here, where can I—"

Koushiro looked up, raising his finger up in the air. "I'll make you a deal, Juro," he said quickly. "And I have to insist you accept."

Juro closed his mouth, swallowing down, continually thrown by the erratic nature of this social interaction. "Uh...what?"

"After this week is over, I will be a gracious, sociable host, I will give you a full introduction to Leavensworth and all the things that I know of that people can do here. I'll introduce you to my friends, I'll show you what we do in our spare time, I'll show you what other teenagers do in their spare time...whatever you want. But, in return, I would like you to leave me alone for the rest of this week."

Juro blinked down a few times. "Uh...I guess? I don't know—"

"It's vital that I finish this dissertation I'm working on before friday evening," Koushiro explained. "It's the only thing left I have to do to get my first class qualification in Systems Science." He pointed down at the book. "It's close, but I want to make full use of every day I have left to make it as good as I can. It's not just the classification, but your performance scores do go down on your permanent record too."

"Ah, well...hey, I'm not getting in the way of history," Juro said, nodding and laying back down on the bed. "Yeah, you do whatever you have to do, buddy. Sounds fine by me."

"Getting this third classification opens up a lot more opportunities for me this summer and next year," Koushiro added, eyes going back down to his book. "Including transferring, or maybe even not returning to academy at all. So it's pretty important."

"Man...that's so insane," Juro muttered to himself. "Fourteen-year-old kid, three first class qualifications, just...some sentences you'd never expect to say."

"On thursday I turn fifteen," Koushiro said offhandedly. "Does that make it less impressive?"

"No," Juro said with a small laugh. "Not in the least."

OOO

~October 25 2321~

"So that evening was your first extended meeting with Koushiro Izumi?" Matthew inquired, writing a few things on a yellow pad with a black pen in front of him.

"Correct," Juro said, wiping his forehead off with a napkin.

"And, during this meeting, he at one point, made it very clear to you that his parents were having financial struggles, yes?" he asked.

"I've never denied that," Koushiro grumbled, glancing up towards the ceiling, facial expression hardening slightly. "And it doesn't matter, it's all a matter of public record what my father made four years ago."

"Well, as this case will perfectly illustrate, Mister Koushiro, public record doesn't always tell the entire story," Matthew countered coolly. "So, Mister Juro, it was your initial impression that the Masami, Kae, and Koushiro Izumi household had financial struggles as well, based off of your time spent there?"

"N-nothing else would have made sense," Juro said. "If they had more money than they let on, then nothing about their lifestyles made sense." He nodded. "They had one car, which they frequently had to schedule around. Ramen was dinner two to three times a week. And, yeah, there was definitely a cockaroach nest in the basement that they couldn't get removed, so..."

"We were poor," Koushiro grunted, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, that's what it was, we were...poor."

"Can we stop working on this little shit's damn biography?!" Troy Starr spat out, suddenly drawing the attention of the couple dozen people in the room to him, having seemingly been forgotten.

"Mister Starr—"

"I'm sure everyone here is just...chomping at the bit to paint this whole thing as a noble, beautiful rags-to-riches story, I'm sure it makes for great poetry to describe his humble beginnings, but can we not lose sight of fact that this kid is a criminal?!"

"I object to that term," Koushiro retorted. "I'm *not* a criminal, by any definition."

A man to Koushiro's left cleared his throat. "We'd like that word stricken from the record. My client is not yet a criminal, and calling him such is slanderous."

"Stricken," Matthew agreed. "Not a criminal, for now at least." He turned over to the young adult sitting near the corner of the table. "And Mister Starr, it's vital to this case that we construct a full understanding of what Koushiro's life was before and after the events pertaining to the lawsuits."

"Mister Koushiro," a woman named Jane now asked. "At this point in your life, what was poker to you?"

"As of June the third, four years ago?" Koushiro asked. "Um...the iron rod that you use in a fireplace to move logs around."

"You mean to say that, at this point in time, you had no idea what poker was?" she asked.

Koushiro cleared his throat. "I...I was generally familiar with a fifty-two card deck, and maybe at some point in my life before that, the term had come up. I was aware that there was a card game that was called poker, but...I didn't know anything about it, and had no interest in it."

"But Koushiro, during this time, poker was a very popular hobby across the world, played by millions of people, particularly on academy campuses." Matthew produced a sheet of paper with small text printed along the front. "We have a signed statement from several members of Stratton faculty during this year that attest to there being many games of poker being played on campus during all hours, especially during lunch break."

"Oh, that's all certainly true," Koushiro answered simply.

"And you're trying to claim that you were completely unaware of this?" Matthew inquired.

Koushiro sighed, nodding. "I spent virtually all of my time at academy focused on my studies," he said. "I wasn't interested in distracting myself outside of class. The closest I came was signing up for chess club, which was mostly empty by my third year anyway."

"And why was that?" he continued to question.

"I never lost," Koushiro explained. "People got frustrated, lost interest. But to the point, no, I wasn't aware of poker being played on Stratton campus while I was attending there until right at the end."

"Right at the end," Matthew repeated. "Could you specify? When did this change?"

Koushiro cleared his throat, glancing over at his dad for a moment. "Actually, June the fourth."  



End file.
